Church History (Eusebius)
The Church History (
Church history
The result was the first full-length narrative of the world history written from a Christian point of view.
Eusebius had access to the
It is therefore of historical value, though it pretends neither to completeness nor to the observance of due proportion in the treatment of the subject-matter. Nor does it present in a connected and systematic way the history of the early Christian Church. It is to no small extent a vindication of the Christian religion, though the author did not primarily intend it as such. Eusebius has been often accused of intentional falsification of the truth. Other scholars, while admitting that his judging of persons or facts is not entirely unbiased, push back on claims of intentional fabrication as "quite unjust."[4]
Plan of the work
Eusebius attempted according to his own declaration (I.i.1) to present the history of the Church from the apostles to his own time, with special regard to the following points:
- the successions of bishops in the principal sees;
- the history of Christian teachers;
- the history of heresies;
- the history of the Jews;
- the relations to the heathen;
- the martyrdoms.
He grouped his material according to the reigns of the emperors, presenting it as he found it in his sources. The contents are as follows:
- Book I: detailed introduction on Jesus Christ
- Book II: The history of the apostolic time to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus
- Book III: The following time to Trajan
- Books IV and V: approximately the 2nd century
- Book VI: The time from Decius
- Book VII: extends to the outbreak of the persecution under Diocletian
- Book VIII: more of this persecution
- Book IX: history to Maximinusin the East
- Book X: The reestablishment of the churches and the rebellion and conquest of Licinius.
Chronology
Andrew Louth has argued that the Church History was first published in 313 CE.
Attitudes of the author
Eusebius blames the calamities which befell the Jewish nation on the
… that from that time seditions and wars and mischievous plots followed each other in quick succession, and never ceased in the city and in all Judea until finally the siege of Vespasian overwhelmed them. Thus the divine vengeance overtook the Jews for the crimes which they dared to commit against Christ.[6]
This is not simply antisemitism, however. Eusebius levels a similar charge against Christians, blaming a spirit of divisiveness for some of the most severe persecutions.
But when on account of the abundant freedom, we fell into laxity and sloth, and envied and reviled each other, and were almost, as it were, taking up arms against one another, rulers assailing rulers with words like spears, and people forming parties against people, and monstrous hypocrisy and dissimulation rising to the greatest height of wickedness, the divine judgment with forbearance, as is its pleasure, while the multitudes yet continued to assemble, gently and moderately harassed the episcopacy.[7]
He also launches into a panegyric in the middle of Book x. He praises the Lord for his provisions and kindness to them for allowing them to rebuild their churches after they have been destroyed.
Criticism
The accuracy of Eusebius' account has often been called into question. In the 5th century, the Christian historian
Translations
The work was translated into other languages in ancient time (Latin, Syriac, Armenian).
English translations
- Eusebius, Christian Frederic Crusé, and Henry de Valois. The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1897.
- Eusebius, and Roy Joseph Deferrari. Eusebius Pamphili Ecclesiastical History. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1969.
- Eusebius, Arthur Cushman McGiffert, and Earnest Cushing Richardson. Eusebius. New York: The Christian Literature Co, 1890.
- Kirsopp Lake (†), J. E. L. Oulton, Hugh Jackson Lawlor. Eusebius: The Ecclesiastical History, in Two Volumes. London: W. Heinemann, 1926–1942.
- Louth, A., and G. A. Williamson. Eusebius: The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine. London: Penguin, 1965.
- Maier, Paul L., ed. Eusebius: The Church History; A New Translation with Commentary. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1999.
See also
- Ecclesiastical history (Catholicism)
- Medieval ecclesiastic historiography
Other early church historians:
- Socrates Scholasticus
- Sozomen
- Theodoret of Cyrus
- Rufinus of Aquileia(he added two books to his translation of Eusebius)
- Philostorgius
- Evagrius Scholasticus
- Zacharias Rhetor
- Theodorus Lector
- John of Ephesus
- Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
- Flavius Josephus
- Saint Hegisuppus
- Justin Irenaeus
References
- ^ Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History (manuscripts), Tertullian.org.
- ^ Chesnut, Glenn F (1986), "Introduction", The First Christian Histories: Eusebius, Socrates, Sozomen, Theodoret, and Evagrius summarizes Eusebius' influence on historiography.
- ^ Paul Maier, Eusebius - The Church History, Grand Rapids, Kregel Publications, 2007, p. 9 (ISBN 978-0-8254-3307-8)
- ^ "Ecclesiastical History", Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent.
- JSTOR 23964888.
- ^ "The Misfortunes which overwhelmed the Jews after their Presumption against Christ". Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
- ^ "The Events which preceded the Persecution in our Times". Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
- ^ "Also in writing the life of Constantine, this same author has but slightly treated of matters regarding Arius, being more intent on the rhetorical finish of his composition and the praises of the emperor, than on an accurate statement of facts" Socrates Scholasticus, Historia Ecclesiastica, Book 1, Chapter 1.
- ^ a b Drake 2002, p. 365-66
- ISBN 0-300-03642-6
- ISBN 0-300-03642-6
- ^ Drake 2002, p. 359
- ^ Wright, W (1898), The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius in Syriac, Cambridge, pp. V–VII
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Sources
- Ehrman, Bart D (2003), Lost Christianities, New York: Oxford University Press
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ecclesiastical History". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Further reading
- R. M. Q. Grant, Eusebius as Church Historian (Oxford University Press) 1980. Discusses the dependability of Eusebius as a historian.
- Doron Mendels, The Media Revolution of Early Christianity : An Essay on Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History ( Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.) 1999
External links
- Greek text Archived 2011-04-09 at the Wayback Machine
- Abbreviated English text, McGiffert translation
- English text, McGiffert translation, with introduction and notes
- Eusebius History of the Christian Church public domain audiobook at LibriVox